Several different modelling techniques to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the fastener-wood interaction, and thus indirectly to model a dowel-type timber connection,have been developed. However, due to the complex mechanical behaviour of thewood material, no model is capable to satisfactorily analysis the complex stress stateand to predict the brittle fracture due to splitting of timber elements around the drilledhole. In addition, most of the advanced material models are based on a complex mathematical formalism, which makes their application in engineering work cumbersomeand their integration in a design standard such as Eurocode 5 challenging. Furthermore, their high computing times hinder application in engineering practice (Lemaître,2020).This paper continues the work presented in Lemaître et al. (2018, 2019) on strengthand stiffness estimation of multiple dowel joints using a Beam-on-Foundation (BoF)model. In the two previous papers, the modelling was inspired by Hirai’s work presented in 1983, see Hirai (1983). Even though Lemaître et al. (2018, 2019) were limitedto joints subjected to normal force, they showed that numerical modelling can helpengineers to fill the gaps of current regulations in Eurocode 5 and to improve the design process. Moreover, the use of engineered wood materials in structures with large spans and in tall timber buildings increase even more the gap between the engineer’sneeds and currently available regulations in Eurocode 5. Due to their shapes and sizes,the global mechanical behaviour of large timber structures highly dependents on thestiffness of their connections, which influences eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies, deformation and internal load distribution. In addition, the connections are subjected tomore complex loading. For this reason, the BoF model is herein extended to dowelledtimber connections subjected to in-plane loading, in the connection shear planes (inplane bending moment, forces parallel and perpendicular to the neutral axis of theconnected timber elements).Applying a BoF model means to idealize the fastener-wood interaction by non-linearsprings. The stiffness of these springs is expressed by mathematical functions, whichare empirically determined. Several authors have worked on this type of modelling,see Lemaître (2020) for a review. Previous works however were limited to one-dimensional foundation, which limits the applicability of the model to connections subjectedto pure normal or shear loading. The objectives of this paper are to (i) propose techniques to extend this approach to a three-dimensional modelling of the fastener-woodinteraction, (ii) show the suitability of the model for estimating the connection stiffness, plastic capacity (no brittle failure can be considered) as well as the load distribution and (iii) highlight the advantages of this type of model for the design of dowelledtimber joints in the context of Eurocode 5.This paper is limited to dowel fasteners. No normal force is considered along the fasteners axis, and thus, neither screwed connections (with inclined or not inclinedscrews) nor bolted connections were calculated, since the rope effect is not considered.